Source: CMS Care Compare, July 2026 releaseER figures are medians, not live waitsAbout the data
Visiting Erie County Medical Center
- Photo ID and your insurance, Medicare or Medicaid card
- A list of your medicines, doses and allergies
- Your doctor's name and phone number
- A phone charger
Official links: Website for Erie County Medical Center (opens the hospital's site)
Nearby hospitals
- 0.8mi Sisters of Charity Hospital Buffalo, NY · Emergency room · median ER visit 3 hr 23 min Call Sisters of Charity Hospital Directions to Sisters of Charity Hospital (Google Maps) Details for Sisters of Charity Hospital
- 1.9mi Brylin Hospitals Buffalo, NY Call Brylin Hospitals Directions to Brylin Hospitals (Google Maps) Details for Brylin Hospitals
- 2.0mi Upstate New York VA Healthcare System (Western Ny VA Healthcare System) Buffalo, NY · Emergency room Call Upstate New York VA Healthcare System (Western Ny VA Healthcare System) Directions to Upstate New York VA Healthcare System (Western Ny VA Healthcare System) (Google Maps) Details for Upstate New York VA Healthcare System (Western Ny VA Healthcare System)
Quick answers about Erie County Medical Center
How long is the ER wait at Erie County Medical Center?
CMS doesn't publish live wait times. Over the 12 months CMS reported, patients treated and sent home spent a median of 5 hr 25 min in the Erie County Medical Center emergency room (the average across New York hospitals is 3 hr 21 min). 8% of ER patients left before being seen. For tonight's wait, check the hospital's website (opens the hospital's own site) or call (716) 898-3000. In an emergency, call 911.
What is the phone number for Erie County Medical Center?
The main phone number for Erie County Medical Center is (716) 898-3000, from Medicare's hospital records.
Call (716) 898-3000What is the address of Erie County Medical Center?
Erie County Medical Center is at 462 Grider St, Buffalo, NY 14215.
Directions (opens Google Maps)Does Erie County Medical Center have an emergency room?
Yes. Erie County Medical Center has an emergency department, according to Medicare data.
What is Erie County Medical Center's Medicare star rating?
Erie County Medical Center has an overall rating of 2 out of 5 stars from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Star ratings come from CMS quality and safety measures, not patient reviews.
Quality and performance
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · data as of July 2026
Patients treated and sent home from the emergency department at Erie County Medical Center spend a median of 5 hours 25 minutes there. That is 2 hours 4 minutes longer than the average across New York hospitals (3 hours 21 minutes).
Source: CMS Hospital General Information and Timely & Effective Care. Wait times are a median over a past 12-month reporting period, not live data. Not affiliated with CMS or with Erie County Medical Center. For a medical emergency, call 911.
Compare ER waits across New York · How New York hospitals rank on star ratings · How we source this data · Something wrong on this page? Tell us
What patients say
CMS patient survey (HCAHPS) · 1,060 completed surveys · patients discharged Oct 2024 – Sep 2025
Patients gave Erie County Medical Center a 3-star patient experience rating out of 5. 66% would definitely recommend it (U.S. average 71%). 66% rated it 9 or 10 out of 10.
The patient survey (HCAHPS) asks a random sample of adult patients about their recent hospital stay. CMS adjusts the results for the mix of patients and how the survey was done, so hospitals can be compared fairly. About the data.
Compare Erie County Medical Center
Infections, complications and deaths
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · compared with hospitals nationwide
Of the 5 hospital-acquired infections CMS could compare, Erie County Medical Center was better than the national benchmark on 2 and worse on 0. Its rate of serious complications was worse than national.
Hospital-acquired infections
Serious complications
Death rates within 30 days
| Patients treated for | This hospital | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Heart failure patients | 10.1% | 11.1% |
| Pneumonia patients | 12.9% | 15.2% |
| Stroke patients | 11.0% | 11.9% |
| COPD patients | 11.0% | 8.6% |
| Hospital-wide, all conditions | 4.1% | 3.9% |
Risk-adjusted rates. CMS has not published a statistical better/worse comparison for these death rates in the current release, so small differences from the U.S. rate may be chance.
Other complications
All 12 complication measures
| Measure | This hospital | U.S. | CMS comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complications after hip or knee replacement% of patients | 4 | 4.1 | Not compared |
| Deaths among surgical patients with serious treatable complicationsper 1,000 patients | 240.42 | 173.3 | Worse than national |
| Pressure ulcers (bed sores)per 1,000 patients | 3.69 | 0.63 | Worse than national |
| Falls in the hospital that caused a broken boneper 1,000 patients | 0.27 | 0.27 | Same as national |
| Collapsed lung caused by a medical procedureper 1,000 patients | 0.24 | 0.21 | Same as national |
| Bleeding or blood clot under the skin after surgeryper 1,000 patients | 3.56 | 2.34 | Same as national |
| Kidney injury needing dialysis after surgeryper 1,000 patients | 1.57 | 1.67 | Same as national |
| Respiratory failure after surgeryper 1,000 patients | 11.09 | 9.42 | Same as national |
| Blood clots in the lungs or legs after surgeryper 1,000 patients | 7.56 | 3.52 | Worse than national |
| Bloodstream infection (sepsis) after surgeryper 1,000 patients | 4.22 | 5.27 | Same as national |
| Surgical wound splitting openper 1,000 patients | 2.3 | 1.77 | Same as national |
| Accidental cuts or tears during abdominal surgeryper 1,000 patients | 0.95 | 1.06 | Same as national |
"Better" or "worse" means CMS found the difference from the national benchmark statistically significant; most hospitals are "no different". Infection results compare the infections a hospital reported with the number predicted for a hospital of its size and type (a ratio below 1 means fewer than predicted), for Oct 2024 – Sep 2025. Death and complication rates are risk-adjusted for how sick patients were. Each death rate counts deaths within 30 days of a hospital stay, pooled over one to three years of Medicare patients depending on the measure. About the data.
Health insurance at Erie County Medical Center
Original Medicare: Medicare-certified, so it can bill Original Medicare (Medicare number 330219). Medicare Advantage plans have their own networks, which this section does not cover.
New York runs its own exchange, NY State of Health. Check its provider directory for Erie County Medical Center.
Source: the insurers' 2027 machine-readable provider files listed in the CMS Marketplace public use files, loaded November 4, 2026, matched to hospitals by NPI from CMS Hospital Enrollments. How we match networks to hospitals Networks change; confirm with your insurer before you go.
Readmissions and return visits
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · Medicare patients · Jul 2023 – Jun 2025
On the 4 readmission and return-visit measures CMS could compare, Erie County Medical Center was no different from the national rate or its expected level.
Back in the hospital within 30 days
| After a stay for | This hospital | U.S. | CMS comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heart failure | 21.5% | 21.3% | Not compared |
| Pneumonia | 18.1% | 17.3% | Not compared |
| COPD (chronic lung disease) | 19% | 20% | Not compared |
| Hip or knee replacement | 5% | 5.8% | Not compared |
Return trips after a stay or procedure
Medicare's readmission program
Excess readmission ratio: this hospital's predicted readmissions divided by the number expected for a typical hospital with the same patients. Above 1.00 means more readmissions than expected. 2 of 4 conditions are above 1.00.
| Condition | Ratio | Patients | Readmissions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heart failure | 1.068 | 113 | More than expected |
| COPD | 1.000 | 76 | More than expected |
| Pneumonia | 0.999 | 103 | Fewer than expected |
| Hip or knee replacement | 0.836 | – | Fewer than expected |
Readmission rates count Medicare patients who were admitted to any acute-care hospital within 30 days of leaving this one, adjusted for how sick they were. "Better" or "worse" means CMS found the difference from the national rate statistically significant; most hospitals are "no different". Return-day and outpatient-surgery measures compare the hospital with what CMS expected for its own patients. The Readmissions Reduction Program ratios are shown as CMS publishes them; whether a hospital's payments are reduced depends on how its ratios compare with similar hospitals, so a ratio above 1.00 alone doesn't mean a penalty. About the data.
Timely and effective care
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · all patients unless noted · Oct 2024 – Sep 2025
Erie County Medical Center's emergency department is classed by CMS as medium volume.
| Measure | This hospital | U.S.* |
|---|---|---|
| Sepsis: got all recommended early treatmentPatients with severe sepsis or septic shock who received every step of the recommended early care bundle. Higher is better. 150 patients. | 71% | 65% |
| Septic shock: full treatment within 3 hoursHigher is better. 58 patients. | 95% | 73% |
| Typical time in the ER before going homeMedian minutes from arrival to leaving, for ER patients sent home (not counting mental health patients or transfers). Lower is better. 483 patients. | 325 min | 162 min |
| Typical ER time for mental health patients sent homeMedian minutes from arrival to leaving. Lower is better. 80 patients. | 320 min | 257 min |
| Patients who left the ER before being seenLower is better. 23,044 patients. | 8% | 2% |
| Health care workers vaccinated against fluHigher is better. 3,765 patients. | 90% | 78% |
| Discharged on two opioids, or an opioid and a benzodiazepinePatients sent home with prescriptions that raise the risk of overdose when combined. Lower is better. 3,465 patients. | 5% | 15% |
| Colonoscopy: right follow-up interval for average-risk patientsHigher is better. 173 patients. | 100% | 93% |
| Blood clot prevention givenHigher is better. 8,180 patients. | 85% | 90%* |
| Blood clot prevention given in intensive careHigher is better. 1,323 patients. | 88% | 97%* |
| Stroke: clot prevention started by day 2Higher is better. 59 patients. | 92% | 94%* |
CMS publishes these process-of-care measures without a better/worse verdict, so the U.S. figure is shown for context; small differences, or results based on few patients, may not mean much. *Median of all hospitals CMS reports, where CMS publishes no national figure. About the data.
Medicare spending and payment programs
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Value-based purchasing scores by area
| Area | Score (out of 100) |
|---|---|
| Clinical outcomesDeath rates and complications | 10 |
| Patient experiencePatient survey results | 17 |
| SafetyHospital-acquired infections | 43.3 |
| Efficiency and costMedicare spending per patient | 10 |
The Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program cuts Medicare payments by 1% for the quarter of hospitals with the worst scores. The Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program withholds a small share of every hospital's Medicare payments and pays it back according to the total performance score. A spending ratio of 1.00 equals the national median; spending reflects prices, the services patients received and care after discharge, not quality. Some hospitals, such as critical access, children's and cancer hospitals, are not part of these programs. About the data.
Care after a stay at Erie County Medical Center
Medicare-certified providers near this hospital, with their CMS ratings. A hospital discharge planner can make the referral.
Skilled nursing facilities nearby
- 0.1mi Terrace View Long Term Care Facility Buffalo, NY · 390 beds Medicare overall 2 of 5 stars · Short-stay quality 3 of 5 · Located in a hospital Abuse citation (CMS)
- 0.9mi St Catherine Laboure Health Care Center Buffalo, NY · 80 beds Medicare overall 5 of 5 stars · Short-stay quality 2 of 5 · Located in a hospital
- 0.9mi Humboldt House Rehabilitation and Nursing Center Buffalo, NY · 173 beds Medicare overall 1 of 5 stars · Short-stay quality 3 of 5 Abuse citation (CMS) SFF candidate
Skilled nursing ratings and inspections at Nursing Homes In Each State
Dialysis centers nearby See more
- 1.2mi Erie County Medical CenterBuffalo, NY
- 3.5mi DaVita Cleve Hill Dialysis CenterAmherst, NY
- 3.9mi Fms-Kenmore Artificial Kidney CenterTonawanda, NY
Home health agencies nearby See more
- 3.5mi People Home Health Svs ChhaBuffalo, NY
- 3.9mi Schofield Certified Home CareKenmore, NY · 68% would recommend
- 4.1mi Vna of Western Ny ChhaCheektowaga, NY · 86% would recommend
Hospice care providers nearby See more
- 5.2mi Hospice Buffalo INCCheektowaga, NY · 91% would recommend
- 7.5mi Homecare & HospiceAllegany, NY · 80% would recommend
- 17mi Niagara Hospice INCLockport, NY · 92% would recommend
Source: CMS Care Compare. Distances are approximate.
Inpatient psychiatric unit
CMS Inpatient psychiatric care Quality Reporting Program, data through March 2025 · unit CCN 330219
Erie County Medical Center runs an inpatient psychiatric unit that reports its own results to Medicare. Follow-up within 7 days: 37% here, against 37% nationally. CMS rates it better than national on readmitted within 30 days.
After discharge
During the stay
Source: CMS Inpatient psychiatric care Quality Reporting Program (Provider Data Catalog). Better/worse labels appear only where CMS itself compared the facility with the national rate; other figures are shown next to the national figure for context. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) or call 911.
Inpatient rehabilitation unit
CMS Inpatient rehabilitation Quality Reporting Program, data through December 2025 · unit CCN 33T219
Erie County Medical Center runs an inpatient rehabilitation unit that reports its own results to Medicare. Returned home or to the community: 56% here, against 67% nationally. It is worse than national on returned home or to the community and catheter urinary tract infections.
Results
Safety
Cost
Source: CMS Inpatient rehabilitation Quality Reporting Program (Provider Data Catalog). Better/worse labels appear only where CMS itself compared the facility with the national rate; other figures are shown next to the national figure for context.
Doctors at Erie County Medical Center
238 Medicare-enrolled doctors and other clinicians list this hospital as an affiliation, across 29 specialties.
Find doctors in Buffalo
Medicare-enrolled specialists with a practice in Buffalo, with addresses, phone numbers and the hospitals they work with.
Federal rules require hospitals to publish their prices, including the rates they've negotiated with each insurer and their cash prices. Erie County Medical Center lists them here:
From the hospital's price transparency file (www.ecmc.edu/cms-hpt.txt), checked Oct 31, 2026. For an estimate of what you'll pay, ask the hospital or your insurer; Medicare's averages are on our procedure cost pages.
What Medicare paid at Erie County Medical Center
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · original Medicare patients · 2024
Average hospital charges and actual payments for the procedures Medicare patients most often had here, compared with the average for New York.
Hospital stays
| Stay | Stays | Avg billed | Avg payment (Medicare + patient) | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Septicemia or severe sepsis without ventilator >96 hours with major complicationsDRG 871 | 90 | $68,159 | $25,458 | +4% |
| Alcohol, drug abuse or dependence without rehabilitation therapy without major complicationsDRG 897 | 75 | $18,781 | $11,101 | −8% |
| Heart failure and shock with major complicationsDRG 291 | 60 | $37,333 | $15,980 | same |
| Hip and femur procedures except major joint with complicationsDRG 481 | 54 | $52,459 | $24,279 | +3% |
| Pulmonary edema and respiratory failureDRG 189 | 44 | $40,257 | $15,697 | +5% |
| Other kidney and urinary tract diagnoses with major complicationsDRG 698 | 39 | $51,250 | $20,137 | same |
| Renal failure with complicationsDRG 683 | 38 | $28,868 | $12,251 | +9% |
| Kidney and urinary tract infections without major complicationsDRG 690 | 34 | $25,780 | $10,367 | same |
Outpatient services
| Service | Services | Avg billed | Avg allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive Observation ServicesAPC 8011 | 252 | $15,706 | $2,875 |
| Level 5 Musculoskeletal ProceduresAPC 5115 | 123 | $23,465 | $13,649 |
| Level 4 ENT ProceduresAPC 5164 | 117 | $9,771 | $3,334 |
| Level 2 Excision/Biopsy/Incision and DrainageAPC 5072 | 96 | $9,695 | $1,638 |
| Level 2 Endovascular ProceduresAPC 5192 | 72 | $9,018 | $5,993 |
Charges are the hospital's list prices; payments are what Medicare, the patient and any other insurer actually paid (for outpatient services, Medicare's allowed amount). Private insurance prices differ. "vs state" compares this hospital's average payment with the state average for the same stay. All procedure costs.
Size and finances
Medicare cost report · fiscal year ending Dec 2024
As reported by the hospital to CMS; not audited. Operating margin is income from patient care divided by net patient revenue and leaves out investment income and donations. Compare New York hospital finances.
Who owns Erie County Medical Center
Medicare enrollment and ownership records (PECOS)
Medicare lists the hospital's legal name as Erie County Medical Center Corporation, a non-profit organization, incorporated 2003.
511 doctors and other clinicians list Erie County Medical Center as a hospital affiliation in Medicare's clinician directory.
Organizations with 5% or more ownership (directly or through other companies), partnership interests or operational control, as the hospital reported them to Medicare. Records can lag behind recent sales. Individuals are not listed. Who owns America's hospitals.
Non-profit finances
IRS Form 990 · tax year ending Dec 2023 · Volunteer Board of the Erie County Medical Center (EIN 16-0986140)
As filed with the IRS by Volunteer Board of the Erie County Medical Center. Matched by name and address, so check the filing to confirm it's the right organization. See the full Form 990 filings · Non-profit hospital finances.
The area around Erie County Medical Center
HRSA shortage designations and BLS pay data
Primary care: Parts of Erie are federally designated health professional shortage areas (3 designations). Highest shortage score 19.
Mental health: Parts of Erie are federally designated health professional shortage areas (1 designation). Highest shortage score 19.
Dental: Parts of Erie are federally designated health professional shortage areas (1 designation). Highest shortage score 19.
Nurse pay: registered nurses in New York earn a median $109,440 a year. Healthcare salaries in New York.
Shortage areas are designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration where there are too few primary care, mental health or dental providers for the population; scores run from 0 to 25 for primary and mental health care and 0 to 26 for dental care, higher meaning greater need. New York shortage areas
Closest other hospitals
Healthcare pay in New York
Registered nurses across New York (all employers) earned a median of $109,440 a year (BLS, May 2025).Registered Nurse (RN) salary in New YorkNurse Practitioner salary in New YorkRespiratory Therapist salary in New YorkHealthcare salaries in New York
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Cite this data
Writing about Erie County Medical Center? You're welcome to quote these figures. They are free to use under CC BY 4.0: please credit HospitalsInEachState.com and link to this page.